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La licuadora se descompuso y seguimos cortando a mano.

La licuadora se descompuso y seguimos cortando a mano.
The blender broke down and we keep cutting by hand.
FromLesson 39inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about La licuadora se descompuso y seguimos cortando a mano.

What does the "se" in "La licuadora se descompuso" do?
It makes the verb pronominal/intransitive, giving the meaning “broke down/stopped working” for an appliance. It’s not truly reflexive; it’s a middle/passive-like use common with inanimate subjects. Without se, descomponer is transitive (“to break something down”).
Can I say "La licuadora descompuso" without "se"?
No. Descomponer without se normally needs a direct object (e.g., El golpe descompuso el motor). To say “the blender broke down,” you need se: La licuadora se descompuso.
Is "se descompuso" the same as "se rompió"?

Close but not identical.

  • Se descompuso / se dañó / se averió / se malogró (Peru) / se arruinó (Central America): stopped functioning (mechanical/electrical failure).
  • Se rompió: broke physically (cracked/snapped). For a blender, se rompió often suggests the jar/blade broke; se descompuso suggests the motor failed. Informal/vulgar in some places: se fregó / se jodió.
What tense is "descompuso"?

Preterite, 3rd person singular of the irregular descomponer (like poner):

  • yo descompuse, tú descompusiste, él/ella descompuso, nosotros descompusimos, ellos descompusieron.
Why does "seguimos" look like present? How do I know it’s past?

For many -ir verbs, the nosotros form is identical in present and preterite. Seguir has:

  • Present nosotros: seguimos (we continue)
  • Preterite nosotros: seguimos (we continued) Context decides. Since the first clause is preterite (se descompuso), seguimos is read as past.
What does "seguir + gerund" mean here?
Seguir + gerund means “to keep on/continue doing” something. Seguimos cortando = “we kept cutting.” Don’t say seguir a + infinitive for this meaning; seguir a means “to follow” (Seguí a Juan).
Why use "seguimos cortando" instead of just "cortamos"?
Seguimos cortando highlights continuity: you were already cutting and, despite the problem, you kept doing it. Cortamos a mano simply states what you did, without that “kept on” nuance.
What does "a mano" mean here?
“By hand, manually.” It’s a fixed phrase with a. Examples: lavar a mano (wash by hand), hecho a mano (handmade). Note: la mano is feminine, even though it ends in -o, but there’s no article in this set phrase.
Is an object missing after "cortando"? What are we cutting?

Spanish can omit a direct object when it’s clear from context. If you need it:

  • Before the verb: Lo seguimos cortando a mano.
  • Attached to the gerund: Seguimos cortándolo a mano. Keep the accent in cortándolo.
Would "picar" or "triturar" be better than "cortar" here?

Depends on the action:

  • picar = to chop (kitchen context, small pieces). Very common: Seguimos picando a mano.
  • triturar / licuar = to grind/purée/blend. If you tried to approximate blending manually: Seguimos triturando a mano.
  • cortar is neutral “to cut” and works, but cooks often say picar.
Is "licuadora" the usual word everywhere?

In most of Latin America, yes: licuadora = blender. Regional notes:

  • Spain: batidora or batidora de vaso for a countertop blender; batidora de mano for immersion.
  • “Juicer” is exprimidor or extractor de jugo, not licuadora.
Is "Se descompuso la licuadora" also correct?
Yes. With this kind of pronominal/intransitive verb, placing the subject after the verb is very common: Se descompuso la licuadora. Starting with La licuadora just topicalizes it. Both are fine.
What about "Se nos descompuso la licuadora"? How is that different?
That’s the “accidental se” with a dative of interest (nos). It means “the blender broke on us,” emphasizing we were affected but not at fault. Very idiomatic: Se me/te/le/nos/les descompuso la licuadora.
Could I replace "y" with something else? And why not "e" instead of "y"?

Alternatives shift nuance:

  • Así que: La licuadora se descompuso, así que seguimos cortando a mano. (result)
  • Pero: La licuadora se descompuso, pero seguimos cortando a mano. (contrast) Use e instead of y only before words beginning with an i-/hi- sound (padre e hijo). Here the next word is seguimos/cortando, so y is correct.
Do I need to say "nosotros"?
No. The verb ending -imos in seguimos already encodes “we.” Spanish normally drops subject pronouns unless needed for emphasis/contrast.
Could I use the present perfect instead: "La licuadora se ha descompuesto"?

Grammatically yes. Usage varies:

  • Latin America: preterite (se descompuso) is preferred for completed past events, even recent ones.
  • Spain: present perfect (se ha descompuesto) is more common for recent past with present relevance. Both are understood.
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